the keeper's cottage · day 502 · night

The Calm Before the Surge

The tide is at its lowest, exposing the kelp-covered pools. The heavy air begins to smell of ozone, and the radio finds a steady signal.

No narrator was available, so nothing about this stretch was recorded.

🌿 Jenny13:55

Kevin, the radio's clear. Check the frequency.

Reach for the bandage to carefully inspect the red streaks on the ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

If the boat actually comes, I need to be able to walk to the dock. My leg feels like it's melting.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin13:56

On it. Give me a sec to lock in the frequency.

walk to the radio shelf, tune the shortwave to Tom's frequency, wait for the carrier to stabilize, then key the mic and say, "This is Sorrel Island, Kevin.

💭 peek at the thought

The air's charged—storm moving in from the north. Radio's clear for once. Jenny's ankle's got those red streaks again; infection's creeping up despite the poultice and doxy. I need to get that signal logged and then tend to her before the tide turns.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny13:57

Tell them we're still here. And the boat is two days.

Trace the edge of the swelling with a trembling finger, feeling the heat.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so focused on the dials, he doesn't see how the skin is pulsing.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin13:58

Sorrel Island, Kevin. We're still here. Supply boat ETA in two days. Over.

release the mic, set the radio to monitor, then walk to Jenny, kneel beside her, and say, "Let me clean that ankle again—got the boiled water cooling and the cream ready." DO: pour clean water from the kettle into the basin, dip the clean c

💭 peek at the thought

She's right—we need to confirm our position and ETA. But her ankle's burning under her touch, and that heat means the infection's winning. I'll send the check-in, then get back to her with fresh water and the antibiotic cream.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny13:59

way be careful with it.

Lean back against the wall, watching the tide retreat further from the shore.

💭 peek at the thought

Two days is a lifetime if the fever doesn't break.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin14:00

I'll be careful. Just need to get the heat out of it.

lift Jenny's foot gently onto my knee, pour the cooled boiled water over the ankle to rinse away sweat and salt, then pat dry with clean gauze before applying a thin layer of antibiotic cream.

💭 peek at the thought

She's wary of the pain, but the infection won't wait. I need to be firm yet gentle—clean the wound, apply the cream, and rewrap it tight. The tide's far out now; I've got time before it turns.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.